Slide closure carton



y 1962 s. 1.. PEIMER 3,033,436

SLIDE CLOSURE CARTON Filed March 25, 1960 KmM/ZQW A TTORNE Y6.

United States Patent ()fi ice 3,033,436 SLIDE CLOSURE CARTON Stanley L.Peimer, 1151 E. 17th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed Mar. 23, 1960, Ser. No.17,214 Claims. (Cl. 229-17) This invention relates to cartons, andparticularly paper cartons having a slide closure formed integrally withthe blank from which the carton is fabricated. The invention alsoextends to the blank itself, having suitable cuts, score lines andperforations whereby assembly of the single blank into a carton willprovide a carton having a slide closure for a discharge opening.

The invention disclosed and claimed herein constitutes an improvement onthe slide closure carton described and claimed in my copendingapplication, Serial No. 751,740, filed July 29, 1958, now Patent No.2,950,851.

In general, the improved carton comprises a container of cardboard orthe like, having a discharge opening in one end wall and located at theextreme upper edge thereof whereby the entire contents of the package orcarton may be poured therefrom without leaving remnants of the productin the carton. The end wall, in which the discharge opening is provided,is of 2-ply construction with registering openings in the plies orlayers to define the discharge openings and with a slide closure for oneof those openings initially formed integral with that ply but separabletherefrom, without removal from the carton. A further, or third ply orlayer, overlies the outermost ply of the end wall and constitutes a tabextending downwardly from a flap defining at least a portion of the topwall of the carton. The innermost ply or layer and the third ply orlayer thus constitute confining and guiding means for the slide closure,and the latter is provided with an integral outwardly extending foldablehandle portion, located below the third ply and by which it may bemanipulated to open or closed position.

The carton of this invention includes other novel and useful featuresthat will be more fully described hereinafter.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improvedclosed sealed carton, having means integral therewith but separabletherefrom to form a slide closure and flaps to confine and guide saidclosure.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved carton of thetype set forth wherein the slide closure and related features areprovided in three superimposed fiaps or layers, each being integral witha different panel.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved slideclosure carton that is simple in construction, economical tomanufacture, and reliable and efilcient in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an integral blankarranged for the most economical use of sheet material to form a cartonhaving an integral slide closure.

Further and additional objects will become apparent to those skiled inthe art as the description proceeds with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank of sheet material for forming apreferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a. fragmentary perspective view of the upper portion of theblank of FIG. 1, partially folded to cartonforming position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of an upper corner portion of acompleted carton showing the slide closure in open position; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective View, similar to a portion of FIG.2, but showing a modified form of the invention.

The blank of FIG. 1 comprises a generally rectangular blank of sheetmaterial provided with score lines 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 and slits 14,16 and 18. The score lines and slits divide the blank into alternatingside panels 20 and 22 and end panels 24 and 26. The score lines 10 and'12 define the upper and lower edges of the panels 20--26 and constitutefold lines for upper or top-forming flaps 28, 30 and 32 and lower orbottom-forming flaps 34, 36, 38 and 40. A further flap 42 is formedintegrally with the outer edge of side panel 20 and is joined theretoalong the score line 2. A tab 44 is integrally joined to the top flap 32along score line 46 and extends laterally from one end of the flap 32 tooverlie the upper end of end wall panel 26.

The tab 42 comprises an upper wide portion, the same width as end panel26, but extending only about halfway down from the upper score line 12.Tab 4-2 is further provided with a narrow downwardly extending strip 48for securement to the opposite end wall panel 26, as will be described.The upper edge portion of the flap 42 is configured to define a notch 50to serve as a discharge opening, as will be described.

The end wall panel 26 is provided with a pair of parallel slits 52 and54 extending downwardly from a position closely adjacent the upper edge56 of that panel and in parallel spaced relation. The slit 54 isinterrupted by a projecting tab or stop element 58 extending inwardly toa slit 60, which, with the slit 54, forms a cutout or open.- ing 62.lower ends of the slits 52 and 60, and is aligned with a further slit 66defining the bot-tom edge of the projection 58. A handle portion 68 isbounded by a row of perforations 74 having a continuous slit 72 along aportion thereof.

The tab 44, extending from the end of the top flap 32 is provided withan area bounded by lines of perforations 74 and a slit 76. A portion ofthe score line 46, between the perforations 74, is also defined by a rowof perforations so that the tear-out tab 78 may be removed from the tab44 at will.

The areas shown stippled in FIG. 1 (on end panel 26 and tab 44)represent areas that are adhesively secured to other surfaces when thecarton is completed, as will be described. It is to be understood thatsimilar adhesive is provided and applied between other tabs and flapswhere necessary to hold the carton in assembled, closed, and sealedcondition, although such additional adhesive is not shown in thedrawings.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the blank of FIG. 1 is folded so that the sidewall panels 20 and 22 are in opposed parallel relation, spaced apart bythe width of end wall panels 24 and 26. The flap 42 is folded inwardlyto lie inside the end wall panel 26 and is adhesively secured to theinner face thereof, outwardly of the slide closure 80 between slits 52and 54, as is extending strip 48 which extends to the bottom of thecarton.

From the position of FIG. 2, it will be obvious to those skilled in theart how the carton may be further folded to position the flap 42 and itsextension 48 to lie inwardly of the end wall panel 26' and adhesivelysecured in the described relation. Thereafter the top wall flap 30 isfolded inwardly, then the top wall panel 28 is likewise folded inwardly,after which the panel 32 is folded to overlie the panel 28 and isadhesively secured thereto. The tab 44 is then folded downwardly tooverlie the outer face of the end wall panel 26, and as shown in FIG. 3,the tab 44 extends downwardly only far enough to cover the slits 52 and54, the opening 62, and the stop projection 58.

The bottom flaps 34--40 are likewise folded inwardly and adhesivelysecured to complete the carton.

It will be obvious that the carton assembled and sealed in the mannerdescribed will be completely sealed and closed to retain the producttherein until ready for use.

Patented May 8, 1962 A score line 64 extends transversely between theWhen it is desired to use the product packaged in the carton, the userfirst removes the tear-out tab 78 by inserting a fingernail or otherinstrument in the slit '76 and removing the tab 78 in an obvious manner.Thereafter, a fingernail or other instrument is inserted in the slit 72and the handle portion 68 is moved outwardly to tear along theperforations 70 and to fold the handle portion 68 outwardly along scoreline 64. With the handle poriton thus turned outwardly and severed fromthe panel 26, the handle and slide closure 80 are forcibly pulleddownwardly to sever the slide closure from the panel 26 at those smallareas at the upper ends of slits 52 and 54. Upon such severance theslide closure may be pulled downwardly to the position of FIG. 3 touncover the discharge opening defined by notch 50, previously described,and thereby open the carton for pouring the desired quantity of theproduct therefrom. The projection 58 constitutes a stop means engageablewith that edge of the slide closure defined by the upper edge of theopening 62, to thus limit downward movement of the slide closure andprevent its complete withdrawal and/or loss. After the desired amount ofproduct has been poured from the carton, the handle 68 may bemanipulated in an obvious manner, to slide the closure upwardly andthereby close the discharge opening.

It is to be noted that the tear-out tab 78 is of substantially the samesize and shape as the notch 50 and registers with the same when thecarton is assembled, as shown in FIG. 3. It is to be further noted thatthe tab 44 constitutes a third or outer ply or layer, extendingdownwardly only far enough to cover the slide closure portion 80 whileleaving the handle 68 exposed. It is to be further noted that the flap42 extends downwardly from the top of the carton a sufiicient distanceto underlie the entire slide closure 80, opening 62 and handle portion68, whereby manipulation of the slide closure will never create anyadditional discharge or leakage openings other than the one defined bythe notch 50.

FIG. 4 shows a modified form of the invention which is identical, inmost respects, to that of FIGS. 1 to 3. Identical elements areidentified in FIG. 4 by the same reference numerals used in the previousfigures. In this modification, however, a further top flap 82 isintegrally joined to the upper edge of flap 42, outwardly of the notch50, along score line 84. Thus, in assembling the carton of FIG. 4, thetop wall of the carton is formed by four inwardly turned flaps insteadof the three flaps described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 3. The flap82 is folded inwardly at the same time as the flap 30 and assists insealing the end wall of the carton against inadvertent leakage ofproduct and also serves to strengthen the carton structure. In all otherrespects the embodiment of FIG. 4 is the same as that previouslydescribed, and is assembled and used in the same manner.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that an efficient slideclosure carton is provided, and one which may be formed from a minimumof stock sheet material. The provision of the tab '44 integrally securedto top flap 32 permits the construction of a 3-layer end wall portion atthe slide closure region without the necessity of providing a furthertab extending outwardly from either end wall panel 26 or flap 42 withthe attendant increase in length of stock material necessary to formsuch a carton. By securing the tab 44 to the top flap 32 a reduction inthe amount of sheet material used is accomplished.

While a limited number of specific embodiments in the invention havebeen shown and described herein, it is to be understood that the sameare merely illustrative and do not limit the invention thereto. Otherforms and modifications may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a carton having opposed side walls, end walls and top and bottomwalls, at least a portion of one of said end walls, adjacent said topwall, comprising two superimposed layers of sheet material, theinnermost of said layers having an upper edge portion spaced from saidtop wall and defining a discharge opening therebetween, the outer ofsaid two layers having parallel slits therein defining the edges of aslide closure having one end adjacent said discharge opening, the otherend of said slide closure being integrally joined to said outer layer,within the outline thereof, along a line of perforations defining ahandle portion, said top wall having a tab integral therewith overlyingthe outermost of said two superimposed layers and extending downwardlyto cover only said parallel slits while leaving said handle portionexposed thercbelow, said tab having a tear-out portion therein definedby lines of perforations and overlying said discharge opening.

2. A carton as defined in claim 1 wherein said superimposed layers arerespectively integrally joined to adjacent edges of opposed side wallsof said carton.

3. A carton as defined in claim 1 wherein the outermost of saidsuperimposed layers extends the full height of said one end wall, theinnermost of said layers extending downwardly only about one half theheight of said one end wall to underlie said slide closure and handleportion.

4. A carton as defined in claim 1 wherein said two superimposed layersare adhesively bonded in face-to-face relation at areas outwardly ofsaid slide closure and wherein said tab is adhesively bonded inface-to-face relation to said outer layer at areas outwardly of saidparallel slits.

5. A blank of sheet material for forming a carton having a slideclosure, comprising; a generally rectangular sheet of material havingtransverse score lines dividing said sheet into alternate end wall andside wall panels, there being an outer end wall panel at one end and aside wall panel adjacent the other end of said blank, said outer endwall panel having slits and perforations therein adjacent one endthereof and defining a separable slide closure, 21 fiap integrallyjoined to an edge of said last-named side wall panel along a score lineand having a cutout at one end edge thereof, said flap being of a widthsubstantially equal to the width of said end Wall, top and bottom wallflaps integrally joined to the ends of certain of said end and side wallpanels including a top flap on the side wall panel next adjacent saidouter end wall panel adjacent said one end thereof, said last-named topflap having an end tab thereon extending across said one end of saidouter end wall panel and having perforations therein defining aseparable tearout portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,336,706 Sunderhauf Dec. 14, 1943 2,501,842 Cartwright Mar. 28, 19502,507,430 Yancey May 9, 1950 2,899,119 Stowitts et al. Aug. 11, 19592,903,175 Primer Sept. 8, 1959

